About the Coverwall

From John and Yoko to Miley Cyrus, Annie Leibovitz to David LaChapelle, the cover of Rolling Stone has always been an art form in its own right. Now you can explore all our covers, and read full articles from classic issues dating back to our 1967 launch in our brand-new Cover Wall.
Explore the Coverwall »

The Incredible Shrinking Video Camera

Honey, they shrunk the video camera: Credit two new milestones in digital photography – namely, medical device company Medigus’ new 0.99mm-wide model, and the NanEye, a tiny camcorder small enough to fit on the head of a match.

Used for getting a good look at your guts in diagnostic and surgical procedures, the former, an endoscopic device, offers a 0.66x0.66mm CMOS sensor. This means it can capture high resolution images at 45,000 pixels. Samples will be offered to U.S. and Japanese companies for use in cardiology-related devices shortly, with expansion into orthopedics, gynecology and gastroenterology treatment planned soon.

"Medical procedures that have not been possible until now become possible with the world's smallest camera,” said Dr. Elazar Sonnenschein, CEO of Medigus, in a press release. “The advanced technology provides the medical community and patients with safe, quality and cost-effective treatment."

In contrast, Awaiba’s NanEye, a 1mm x 1mm model so minute it’s tinier than a pencil’s eraser, can capture 250x250-pixel resolution footage at 44 frames per second. Designed primarily for use in medical procedures, as well, the video camera may also find its way into surveillance and spy gadgets. Given the shrinking size of these devices, which continues a running trend in dwindling camcorder dimensions, you may want to think twice before smack-talking your ex in public. It’s anyone’s guess what’s hiding in a crack in the wall, or, even more frighteningly, who’s watching.